Loving the Bite: Blue Cheese Steak Salad

Looks like we got enough Thumbs Up last week to keep the recipes going…but we’ve decided to make it Loving the Bite Thursdays instead of laying it out on Tuesdays. Although I don’t eat red meat, I didn’t want that to stop us from laying out a great steak salad recipe for you to check out. Kelli’s got another hot one for y’all.

For Beef Eaters, is all beef the same? Is there a better choice?

In the recipe below, I specifically list Grass-fed beef. Why? When cows are fed grains instead of grass, even if it’s just to “finish” off their feeding to make them gain more weight, the fat make-up of their meat is altered. With 100% grass-feeding, the meat has higher amount of healthy (anti-inflammatory) omega-3s. With grain-feeding, the meat has a lower omega-3 composition and higher omega-6. It’s this ratio of omega-3s vs. omega-6s that’s important for overall inflammation in our bodies. This bodily inflammation doesn’t just affect things like joints and arthritis…it has implications for most all chronic disease (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc). And, while there is not a lot of omega-3s in red meat to start with, and even grass-feeding doesn’t increase it anywhere near high omega-3 foods like fish, a recent study suggested that grass-fed red meat eaters had a better omega-3:omega-6 ratio (http://cdn.marksdailyapple.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/McAfeeGrassfedbeefbettern3thanconventionalbeefBJN2011-2.pdf

I, too, have a grocery budget and I know it’s expensive! Every once in awhile it goes on sale, and I stock up. If you live by a store like “Whole Foods,” you can find grass-fed and finished beef. Otherwise, you will likely have to buy it straight from the rancher…here’s one site that lists ranchers that sell it: http://www.eatwild.com/. If you can’t find grass-fed and finished beef, but still want to eat red meat, at least make sure that it is hormone and anti-biotic free.

To save money and still eat high quality, organic and grass-fed meats, try eating a vegetarian dinner 2-3 times per week. Use beans, nuts, tofu, and eggs (lacto-vegetarian) as your protein source. By saving money on these days, you may be able to splurge on the other.

As athletes, we often have extra inflammation and oxidative stress in our bodies. We also have high protein needs. It’s important to find healthy protein sources that provide beneficial nutrients for our bodies (whether vegetarian or meat-eating), rather than eating the least-expensive, cheaply-fed, unhealthy ones that drag us down.

6 Responses to “ Loving the Bite: Blue Cheese Steak Salad ”

Thanks for the recipes! I am really enjoying them. What I really like about this one is that you get the little indulgences in the steak and blue cheese, but a little goes a long way with both ingredients.

For those of in the Northeast, buried in mounds of snow, soup has been on the menu, A LOT.

I make my own chicken stock (super easy) and then add garlic, onion, celery, carrot, dried herbs, diced leftover chicken or turkey, zucchini, mushrooms, black beans, green beans, peas, and then throw a handful of pasta in at the end. OR I’ll roast a bunch of veggies (tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, garlic, leeks, peppers), add herbs & veggie broth, puree it, then add some white beans at the end. Great low-calorie meal that is full of nutrients for winter, and filling!

Thanks for checking out our Loving the Bite feature….and thanks also for your suggestion. I’ll talk to Kelli about it and see what kind of soup goodness she can come up with for you. She’s pretty darn Awesome, so I know we’ll have some good soup recipes for you soon.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out. Have you tried either of these? Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.